Credit card disbursements
Committees can pay for operating expenditures by charging a committee credit card.
Reporting on Form 3X
Party committees report operating expenditures that were charged to a credit card, were paid for with 100% federal funds, and were not federal election activity (FEA) on Schedule B, supporting Line 21(b). A credit card payment must be itemized on Schedule B, supporting Line 21(b) if payments exceed the $200 aggregate threshold during the calendar year.
Note: shared federal/nonfederal operating expenditures must be itemized regardless of amount. Learn more about reporting allocated administrative expenditures and allocated fundraising expenditures. Federal election activity paid for by credit card entirely with federal funds should be disclosed on Line 30(b).
The committee must also itemize, as a memo entry, any specific transactions charged on a credit card if payments to the actual vendor exceed the $200 aggregate threshold during the calendar year. The memo entry must include the name and address of the vendor, the purpose of the disbursement, date the services were received, and the amount of the disbursement.
The party committee reports paying Credit Card Co. on Line 21(b), and includes the credit card company's address, the date that the credit card was paid, the amount that was paid, and the purpose of disbursement "Credit card payment (see below)."
Next, the committee includes memo entries for its original vendors, Prime Cut Steakhouse and Big Box Office. The memo entries show the vendors' addresses, dates the services were received, and the amounts paid. Both memos also show clear purposes of disbursement - "Fundraising luncheon" and "Fundraising printing" - so that the public knows why the funds were spent.
Reporting with FECFile
To enter a credit card payment, go to the Summary Page tab, right click on “Line 21(b) Other federal operating expenditures” and select “new.” To add memo entries to this payment, go to the “disbursements” tab and find the credit card payment. Right click on the credit card payment, select “Transaction Split.” Enter each vendor by clicking “add new.”
